Suzan-Lori Parks News

Lucas Papaelias, of Broadway's ONCE is set to join the line up of the previously announced 17th annual LOWER EAST SIDE (LES) FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS. Papaelias is also known as LPfunK and is an actor/guitarist/composer who was nominated for a Drama Desk Award (Best Original Music in a Play) for his work in Adam Rapp's "Essential Self-Defense" at Playwrights Horizons. Most recently, he co-wrote the rock musical PYRAMIDICA: Songs of Freedom, which takes place live in a pyramid scheme company's "free" orientation, and was presented at the Vineyard Arts Project's New Writers / New Plays Festival. He also conceived of, and composed, the rock opera ITHACA: a Perpetual Shredfest, the story of a Lower East Side rock band performing their final concert, which had presentations at Joe's Pub and ARS Nova.

Rehearsals began today (5/8) for Women's Project off-Broadway world premiere play titled from the famous Ellen Stewart quote We Play for The Gods, a the seven-playwright, four-director, three-producer and five-actor collaborative show.

Two River Theater Company today announced the lineup of productions for its 2012-13 Season.

Women's Project will end its 34th season with an off-Broadway show of epic proportions when seven playwrights, four directors, three producers and five actors collaborate on one world premiere play titled from the famous Ellen Stewart quote We Play for The Gods. We Play for The Gods stars Annie Golden, Amber Gray, Alexandra Henrikson, Irene Sofia Lucio and Erika Rolfsud. It begins performances Friday, June 1, at 8:00pm, opens Monday, June 11, at 7:30pm for a run through Saturday, June 23, at the Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street.

THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS was nominated for ten Tony Awards yesterday morning, including Best Revivial of a Musical, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical and is Actress counterpart. Check out this backstage footage of the cast, including Phillip Boykin and Joshua Henry, reacting to the news.

The New Group presents the world premiere of An Early History of Fire, a new play by Tony Award-winning playwright David Rabe. Directed by Jo Bonney, this production features Gordon Clapp, Erin Darke, Jonny Orsini, Devin Ratray, Dennis Staroselsky, Theo Stockman and Claire van der Boom. Limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated April 5 - May 26 at The New Group @ Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). The official Opening Night was Monday, April 30 at 7:00 PM. Check out the after-party photos below featuing Meryle Streep and all the cast.

The New Group presents the world premiere of An Early History of Fire, a new play by Tony Award-winning playwright David Rabe. Directed by Jo Bonney, this production features Gordon Clapp, Erin Darke, Jonny Orsini, Devin Ratray, Dennis Staroselsky, Theo Stockman and Claire van der Boom. Limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated tonight, April 30 through May 26 at The New Group @ Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Official Opening Night is tonight, April 30 at 7:00 PM. See the photos below for a first look at the production!

The New Group presents the world premiere of An Early History of Fire, a new play by Tony Award-winning playwright David Rabe. Directed by Jo Bonney, this production features Deema Aitken, Gordon Clapp, Erin Darke, Jonny Orsini, Devin Ratray, The New Group presents the world premiere of An Early History of Fire, a new play by Tony Award-winning playwright David Rabe. Directed by Jo Bonney, this production features Deema Aitken, Gordon Clapp, Erin Darke, Jonny Orsini, Devin Ratray, Dennis Staroselsky, Theo Stockman and Claire van der Boom. Limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated tonight, April 30, through May 26 at The New Group at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Official Opening Night is tonight, April 30 at 7:00 PM. Staroselsky, Theo Stockman and Claire van der Boom. Limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated April 5 - May 26 at The New Group at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Official Opening Night is set for Monday, April 30 at 7:00 PM.

The New Group presents the world premiere of An Early History of Fire, a new play by Tony Award-winning playwright David Rabe. Directed by Jo Bonney, this production features Gordon Clapp, Erin Darke, Jonny Orsini, Devin Ratray, Dennis Staroselsky, Theo Stockman and Claire van der Boom. Limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated April 5 - May 26 at The New Group @ Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Official Opening Night is set for Monday, April 30 at 7:00 PM. See the photos below for a first look at the production!

The Herb Alpert Foundation and California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) will award the 18th Annual Alpert Award in the Arts to five exceptional mid-career artists. The award recognizes past performance and future promise to artists working in Dance, Film/Video, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts with a prize of $75,000. Herb Alpert, the legendary musician and artist who created the Herb Alpert Foundation with his wife Lani Hall and gave the first Alpert Award in the Arts in 1995 says, "The Alpert Awards are given to those who take aesthetic, intellectual and political risks, and challenge worn-out conventions. They're unafraid of the unknown."

Earlier this month, BroadwayWorld reported that movie director Kevin Smith wants to bring his 1994 flim 'Clerks' to the Broadway stage in 2014. If this plan comes to fruition it will join the ranks of Disney's THE LION KING- another successful 1994 film, which opened in back in 1997 and is still running at the Minskoff Theatre.

Week Three of The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University's MFA Repertory Season (April 11 - 14) present scenes from Topdog/Underdog and Raised in Captivity, plus the one-act play, Brilliant Traces. Check out production photos below!

Public Theater has announced the line-up today for The Public's 2012-2013 Season, beginning in the fall with an October rededication of The Public's historic downtown building. The season continues the theater's nearly 60 year tradition of developing new theatrical voices and presenting Shakespeare to the entire New York community.

The revised book of The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess has been the subject of much discussion since it's debut at A.R.T. last August, and according to Patrick Healy of the New York Times, there is still debate over its Tony eligibility. As BroadwayWorld previously reported, last week, when the Tony administration committee made a decision regarding David Alan Grier's eligibility as a featured actor, they 'took no action' with the musical's updated book (by Suzan-Lori Parks and Diedre Murray), thus making it ineligible for a 'Best Book of a Musical' Tony Award. Clcik here to read more about the controversy. This has got a lot of theatre lovers talking about whether the musical revival should have been considered for the Tony in the first place. What do you think?

The revised book of The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess has been the subject of much discussion since it's debut at A.R.T. last August, and according to Patrick Healy of the New York Times, there is still debate over its Tony eligibility. Last week, when the Tony administration committee made a decision regarding David Alan Grier's eligibility as a featured actor, they 'took no action' with the musical's updated book (by Suzan-Lori Parks and Diedre Murray), thus making it ineligible for a 'Best Book' Tony Award.

Nova D Arts Collective, Danse4Nia Repertory Ensemble, Company Theatre, and GoKash Productions present "The Boy Who Sees" by Davon Williams, winner of three Philadelphia Urban Theater Festival awards and starring Kash Goins, Erica Brown, Hasan Malik, Andre Brown, and Brett Gray. Jesimiel Jenkins directs. Choreographer: A.C. Gilmore choreographs. The show plays April 11th - April 29th at First Philadelphia Charter School.